Be brave, Cara
by CArfwedsonFan91
Summary: Nurse Cara Martinez escapes with her daughter from an abusive marriage, but what will happen to them? Rated M for descriptions of physical and emotional domestic violence, do not read if you are sensitive to this subject (disclaimer)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Welcome to my second fanfic! This story is about Holby City's Cara, escaping from an abusive marriage, taking her daughter with her. There has been no mention in the show of Cara's background or family, so I'm just using my imagination with those two extra characters. Various chapters (including this first one) will describe physical and emotional domestic violence, so if you are sensitive to this subject, please remember this when deciding whether to read or not!**

 **If you do read, feel free to leave reviews! Thanks!**

'Cara? Cara!'

She kept walking. She had set her pace fast and there was no way she was going to look back. Her pulse began to race; tears streaming hot down her face; her hair tied back but aloof...

'Cara!' The voice shouted again, and with this Cara began to run. She had no idea where she was going. She blinked away the tears forming and her breathing became unstable as she choked back on overwhelming fear.

It all came flooding back. She had arrived home from her 14 hour shift, her colleagues had lost 2 patients that day, and despite her usual upbeat nature, she was knocked by this. It was difficult to see you he families so upset, and difficult to see her colleagues agonise over whether they could have done anything differently. She arrived home, placing her coat and handbag on the stair banister as she always did. She slipped off her shoes, and sighed. She would have loved to be at Albies right now with the rest of her team on AAU, but it could never be that way.

'Where were you?' A gruff, hard voice shattered the already stone cold atmosphere. A figure stands in the living room, the only light coming from the landing where Cara's inner being was crumpling.

'I've been at work, Gabe. It's been a difficult day' she replied, honestly.

'You were supposed to be home two fucking hours ago!' He shouted, storming onto the corridor and grabbing Cara by the throat, lifting slightly. Cara tried not to cry, that only made him angrier, and tried to keep her breathing steady.

'An emergency came in, we lost two patients Gabe. Please' she tried to reason, her voice shaking. She watched as her husband's face turned poisonous and then he let her go briefly. She raised her hands to her throat to soothe the tightening of his choking grip, and the caught unawares, the back of Gabe's fist struck her face with a sharp shock, sending Cara tumbling into the wall and down onto the ground.

 _'Be brave Cara'_ she tried to tell herself, but as her husbands kicks impacted her stomach and ribs, she curled into a ball, and then he spat on her. 'You fucking liar' he snarled, before turning back into the darkness of the living room. He sat, picked up his whiskey and Cara remained on the floor, yet again a broken woman. She gathered her thoughts, now racing in her mind. 'I hope Allegra didn't see that' she panicked as she realised that her three year old daughter was upstairs. She picked herself up, peered into the living room to see that her husband was enamoured with his own anger to realise she was going upstairs. She looked into the little girls room, and sighed with relief as she saw that Allegra was asleep. She kneeled down next to the bed and stroked her hair, kissing her gently on the forehead. 'Sleep tight baby girl, I promise everything will be ok' she wept.

'Do you have any idea how long it took her to sleep?! You stupid bitch' Gabe growled, in a volcanic rage...

She doesn't really remember what happened next. All she knew was that if she didn't run, she would be in serious danger. Apart from Allegra, who was too young to understand what was happening, whom she had grabbed from her bed before running, she was alone. She would have to go back eventually. She wasn't sure what scared her more.

Cara had been with Gabriel since they were 17. School sweethearts, Gabriel Martinez was her dream man. Considerate, caring, funny, intelligent, good company, handsome. They had met at college, and when Cara moved to London to go to university to study nursing, Gabe had moved with her, getting a place at the same university to study engineering. They lived together, had the same groups of friends, and their relationship blossomed. Cara didn't even notice that he didn't like her talking to other men, and was starting to isolate her from her friends and family. She was flattered, he wanted her all to himself, she thought.

They married at 21 and had their daughter at 23, and despite Gabe being protective of his wife, Cara flourished in her work. She was popular with her colleagues, a sweet natured young lady with a heart of gold, and a banter tolerance to match. The men loved her, the women loved her. She was a totally different person at work compared to when she was at home, she was free to be herself. It was only about a year before that the physical abuse started. It started as the odd shove, slap, punch. Then when Gabe lost his job and turned to alcohol, the beatings got worse. Before today he had always avoided her face, and Cara thought that was what scared her most.

She ran to the only place she felt comfortable- Holby City Hospital.

'Mummy where are we?' Allegra yawned, tired, holding onto Cara around her neck. Cara looked at her. She looked so innocent, fragile.

'We're just going to see some of mummy's friends' Cara put on a smile, a smile she had learnt to fake. She took Allegra up to AAU and they were greeted by a very confused Fletch.

'Cara? What the-?'

'Carbon monoxide leak in my building! We had to just leave with whatever we would grab in 10 seconds! So I grabbed this little one and my bag, but no wallet, and we have nowhere to stay' Cara admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.

'Oh right, um, I didn't know you had kids-'

'Yeah, this is my little Allegra. Anyway, I was wondering, is the on call room free tonight? I didn't have a chance to grab my wallet or anything- it'll be sorted by morning, and my family are all abroad, and what with being new to the area I didn't know where else to-'

'Cara, it's fine. I'm in charge tonight, if Serena was here there might be more explaining to do, but as it happens she's not. I know it's hard when you've got kids, so just for one night, go for it' he smiled, giving her the key. 'Is it just you two?'

'Yep' Cara smiled her fake smile again. Fletch could sense something wasn't right...Cara's eyes looked slightly red, as if she'd been crying. Her cheek was a little red too, but only slightly. He couldn't mention it, it was most likely nothing, it was so faded...

'Are you ok?' He asked, deciding to be safe than sorry. 'You look a little upset'

'I'm just flustered, I'm fine' Cara tried to insist, smiling and nodding, and he smiled back.

'Ok...you two get settled, and sleep well' Fletch winked as Allegra yawned.

'Thanks Fletch' Cara smiled as she carried Allegra into the on call room and tucked her into the bed. She watched as her daughter fell asleep almost instantly and then started to cry. She was terrified. She had nowhere else to go. Tomorrow she would have to go back and face Gabe's mood again, and she was certain it wouldn't be a good one, it never was. She was thankful she had a shift the next morning, that she'd be able to get Allegra to play school, but she didn't feel safe going home.

She curled up onto the bed next to her daughter, and brushed Allegra's soft blonde waves away from her face as she lay back and tried to get some sleep. 'I love you sweetheart...I promise I'll get us out of this mess...' Cara whispered before falling into a light sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

'Cara?'

Cara stirred but still asleep. In her dream she was fighting off Gabe from another beating. Her breathing quickened, her face displaying signs of distress. 'Cara, wake up' Fletch whispered as he shook her, and she suddenly lurched upwards and started to cry. Fletch was alarmed, but she flinched. He recoiled, shocked, and then Cara opened her eyes. She was still crying but seemed to relax. She realised that she was in the hospital, safe. 'Cara what's wrong?!' He pressed gently, putting his arms around her again, stroking her back reassuringly as she tucked herself into his hug.

'Nothing, nothing, it's just a bad dream' she sniffed. Then she realised something. 'Where's Allgera?!' She panicked, shooting out of Fletch's arms and standing abruptly. Fletch stood slowly and held his hands out.

'She's ok, she's with Morven getting some breakfast from Pulses. She let herself out about 10 minutes ago and bumped into us, that's why I came in to wake you, I knew you'd be worried if you woke up and didn't know where she was. My Evie was the same, always wandering off, turned me grey with worry.' He reassured her. 'Bright little button isn't she? How old is she?'

'Three' Cara smiled weakly. Fletch looked at her, concerned. The red mark on her cheek was now a very pale bruise, only really noticeable if you looked for it, and she seemed distant, distracted.

'Are you alright? You're not yourself...' he asked.

'I'm fine' she replied, a little too quickly, as if an autopilot response to that question. 'I'll take Allegra to playschool and I'll be back on time for my shift' she smiled, again weakly. Fletch mirrored this, put his hand on hers and squeezed it before he stood to give Cara some privacy.

'Fletch? Thanks...for all of this' she smiled as he turned to leave the room, smiling back at her.

Cara stood and dared to look in the mirror. Sure enough, her face had a pale bruise, and as she rolled up her sleeves, she saw her wrists were also bruised. Her torso and ribs were sore, dark shades of purple and blue, new bruises to go with older ones that had not yet healed. Her eyes welled up. She felt foolish for coming to the hospital. She had been so secretive about her family life, and now she had brought her daughter in, and Fletch had seen her in the state she was in before when she woke up, she knew it wouldn't be long before people started wondering what was going on. All she could do was go back, go back to Gabe. That way she wouldn't have to lie to her colleagues. She knew the beatings wouldn't stop- Gabe always apologised and promised it would never happen again, but it would. But what else could she do? She was good at hiding her injuries, but secrets like this don't stay secret for long.

'Darling what have I told you about running off?' She sighed at her daughter who came bounding towards her. She looked down as Allegra hugged her knees. 'Dr Shreve, thank you for watching her'

'No trouble at all' she smiled as she waved goodbye to Allegra, now in Cara's arms and exiting the ward. Cara dropped Allegra off at playschool, and then went back to the hospital to compete her shift. She got through the busy shift with no questions being asked, but she got a sympathetic smile from Fletch every now and again. _'Does he know something?'_ Cara wondered, but managed to distract herself. Before she knew it, she was doing the familiar walk home. It wasn't just familiar because of the surroundings, but the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach had become a landmark of her days, the excruciating fear she felt that she had no idea what mood Gabe would be in when she home. He would either be apologetic and loving, or in a drunken rage. She couldn't fault him as a father- he doted on her. She was his little princess.

Before she opened the door, she took a deep breath and mentally prepared for what was behind the door.

'How was your day sweetheart?' He called out as Cara closed the door. He came out and put his arms around her. She was relieved but still cautious- she knew how much his mood could change and how quickly.

'It was good thank you darling' she smiled as he kissed her. He held her and she winced slightly because of her ribs. He pulled away, and kissed her forehead. 'I'm so sorry about last night' he began. 'But, you know you drive me crazy.' He tried to reason. Cara knew better than to argue so she nodded and accepted his 'apology'. They cooked and ate dinner and decided to spend an evening playing board games, like they did when the first started dating.

They were having a nice evening and then Cara got a text- it was from Fletch.

 _Fletch: Hi Cara, hope you're ok, is everything sorted now? F'_

Cara smiled at his concern but Gabe saw this. 'Who the fuck is texting you?' He snapped. Cara felt her throat tighten with fear, and she gulped.

'Just a colleague' she tried to defend herself as he snatched the phone from her hand. She could almost see the moment Gabe lost his temper, it was like someone had flicked a light switch.

'Who the fuck is this Fletch, and why is he asking if you're ok?! What have you been telling him?!' He shouted, standing up, throwing Cara's phone against the wall as it smashed. Her eyes welled up with tears and he got right into her face, and grabbed it.

'I told him we had a carbon monoxide leak, that's what he means' she tried to say, and then he spat in her face before tossing her onto the floor.

'You lying piece of shit' she shouted as he kicked her, just as he had the night before. Cara yelped in pain and fear and curled herself into a ball to protect herself, and prayed he would get fed up. He stopped after what felt like hours but in reality was a couple of minutes and then just left the room without saying a word. She lay on the floor for a moment to collect her thoughts, and the had to fight the urge to run again. She knew she should, but she didn't want her colleagues to suspicious if she turned up with Allegra on the ward again. When Gabe didn't reappear, she realised that he must have gone to bed, so she made herself comfortable on the sofa and decided to stay there for the night. _'What has happened to us?'_ She wondered as she welled up. With the constant pain in her ribs and stomach, this was going to be a long night.


	3. Chapter 3

'Morning Cara! No Allegra this morning?' Morven smiled, looking up from her file. Cara shook her head.

'No, no, the carbon monoxide leak was sorted so we were back in our own beds last night'

'I didn't know you had a family' she smiled, and then looked around and checked whether anyone else was in earshot. 'I need to talk to you' she whispered, and the pair headed into the locker room.

'What's up?' Cara asked, and Morven looked awkward, like she couldn't work out how to phrase what she wanted to say. Eventually, Morven sat Cara down.

'Is everything ok?' She asked, making eye contact with the nurse and looking concerned. Inside, Cara felt nervous but instead she just smiled and nodded.

'Everything's fine, I was a bit flustered yesterday and the night before but everything's sorted, why?'

'It's just, Allegra told me yesterday, that 'Mummy ran away from daddy'- you do know you can talk to us here?'

 _'Shit'_ Cara thought to herself. She had to think of a response quickly. 'Oh that girl, she's got a hell of an imagination for a three year old!' Cara laughed as she stood. 'I appreciate the concern but everything is great!' She smiled, and this reassured Morven. 'I'd imagine she just thought that because we had to leave in a hurry because of the leak. My husband went to his friends, but there isn't enough room for all three of us, we just had to go wherever we could think' she lied, and Morven seemed to buy it.

'Oh good- I was worried about you!' She sighed with relief, and Cara smiled. Morven left the locker room to let Cara get into her scrubs and ready for their shift, and Cara caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Her torso and ribs were even more colourful today, and it was painful to move too quickly. She wouldn't have been surprised if she had a broken rib or two but she knew there was nothing that could be done, so she just had to grin and bear it.

'Mr Murphy, you're going to need to calm down, we need to put in a cannula' Morven tried to explain to a patient who was very agitated, and they believed under the influence of something. Cara and Arthur were trying to get the patient to stay on the bed but as he lost his temper, he lashed out and kicked Cara in the ribs so hard that she recoiled backwards and fell into Serena who had heard a commotion and came over to try and help. Serena kneeled down to support Cara who was winded, and rubbed her back reassuringly.

'Cara are you ok?' She asked and Cara nodded, wincing. She couldn't breathe properly and Serena could see this. Fletch hurried over to help Morven and Arthur with the patient who was now on the bed with a security guard he had just called. 'Cara come with me, let's get you looked at' she commanded kindly as she helped Cara stand. She couldn't stand up all the way without a shooting pain in her rib, so Serena held onto her and helped her into a bay and pulled the curtain round. 'Can I examine you?' Serena asked as she helped Cara lie on the bed, and noticed that she winced whenever she moved. Cara shook her head adamantly, but Serena put a kind hand on her shoulder. 'It's ok, I'll be quick and it'll be painless' she reassured, and Cara reluctantly nodded, although the nod was so small that Serena almost missed it.

She welled up and her breathing stared to quicken as Serena began to lift her scrub top. Serena noticed this. 'It's ok, it'll all be over soon' but then her eyes widened and mouth dropped a little as she saw a large collection of bruises across Cara's chest and torso.

'What's happened here, Cara?'

'I was mugged a few days ago, they didn't take much so I didn't report it' she replied, thinking she was being clever in thinking of the lie so quickly.

'Oh Cara...why didn't you say anything?'

'I'm fine, just a bit sore'

'A bit?!' Serena chortled. 'You're covered in bruises! I think you may have a couple of broken ribs, so I'd like you to have an X-ray and rest!' She smiled as she wrote down something on a chart and placed it back into the end of the bed. 'I'll order your X-ray and a porter will be along sortly' Serena smiled and Cara nodded.

'Thanks Ms Campbell' she replied. Serena smiled at her and pulled the curtain round and Cara breathed a sigh of relief. _'That was a close call'_ she thought to herself, _'a bit too close'._ She was uncomfortable that he colleagues knew about the bruises, and she was fairly sure she had managed to sway Morven away from getting suspicious. But for how long?


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Many thanks to NiamhMcGrady-Fanpage (full credit to your idea from the review and the PM, which I've got coming in chapter 5 which I'll upload at the weekend, so thank you so much!) and phoebegirl300 for the kind reviews!**

'Ms Campbell, can we have a word?'

'I have theatre shortly, can it wait?' She frowned, reluctantly. Morven and Fletch looked at each other sadly and shook their heads.

'I'm afraid not' Fletch frowned, and Serena sighed and gestured to them to sit down as she sat behind her desk. Both Fletch and Morven looked awkward and didn't know how to begin.

'Come on, spit it out' she sighed, looking slightly fed up. 'Is everything ok?'

'It's Cara- we're worried about her. Have you seen her this morning?' Fletch frowned.

Serena was confused, and shook her head. 'No, why?'

 _Earlier that day..._

It had been a week since Cara's X-ray revealed 4 broken ribs from her 'mugging' and she had just arrived on the ward flustered again, late, and as she went into the locker room, she looked in the mirror in her locker to touch up her makeup, covering up a black eye she had received the night before. However, when Morven burst into the room, needing to change her scrubs after a patient vomited on her, and caught her covering her bruised face. She pretended not to see anything out of shock, and Cara quickly finished applying her concealer and foundation and hurried out onto the ward, asking Fletch for a patient as soon as she saw him. He noticed she looked flustered, her eye looked a little swollen and as she was avoiding eye contact, he could tell something was wrong. He was holding a file which she took from his hands on her way past, the last thing she wanted to do was answer any questions. She just wanted to tend to the patient and keep her head down. The team had seen Cara go from being a bubbly, fun-loving young lady to being shy, emotional, and fragile, and in a team like theirs, they just wanted to help.

Fletch could see Morven look on at Cara worriedly and approached her. 'Is Cara ok?' He asked her and she shrugged, still looking concerned.

'She's been coming to work with a number of injuries lately, hasn't she?' Morven blurted. 'Sorry, it's just I've got a bad feeling something's wrong...' She frowned. Fletch nodded in agreement.

'Me too...we need to tread carefully, but I think we need to talk to Serena...

 _Present_

'So you think she's covering something up?' Serena asked as they all looked out the window at Cara who was busying herself between various patients.

'I just think it's worth exploring...she hasn't been herself, her eye is swollen and she's been very secretive. She'd never mentioned a husband or kids until she brought Allegra onto the ward-'

'What? When was this?'

'About a week ago- she turned up here at around 11 at night, claiming they had to leave from a carbon monoxide leak. They stayed in the on call room'

'And then Allegra told me that she had run away from daddy...at first I believed Cara's explanation that they had to leave in a hurry because of the leak, but now what with everything else, I'm not so sure' Morven added. Serena sighed sadly.

'And then with a mugging as well...she's either hiding something or she's incredibly unlucky...ok you two, thank you for telling me, now let's keep this between these four walls? I'll have a word with Cara' she nodded.

'Nurse Martinez, can I have a word please?' Serena smiled, approaching Cara as she took some blood from a patient. Cara looked up and Serena could see what Fletch and Morven meant- it was obvious to anyone looking for it who had their suspicions that Cara was trying to hide an injury.

'Let me just finish the bloods-'

'No no, I'm sure Fletch could handle those- come on, it won't take a minute' Serena smiled, placing a gentle hand on her back and leading her into the office. Cara felt nervous, what did Serena want? She gestured to her to sit down and she did, although not quite feeling relaxed. Serena pulled up a chair next to her and turned it to face her.

'Mugged again Nurse Martinez?' Serena asked, one eyebrow raised.

 _'Shit_ ' she thought to herself. 'Yeah, I'm just unlucky I guess' she replied. 'What's this about?'

'I'm going to cut to the chase- Dr Shreve and Nurse Fletcher came to me with a concern about your welfare, Cara...now don't be angry at them, they've done the right thing. This isn't the first time you've been coming into work with an injury, is it?' She asked, looking at the nurse who by now was looking down at her shuffling feet. She couldn't find her words, so she just shook her head. She felt guilty and ashamed.

'It's ok, you can talk to me' Serena smiled, placing a comforting hand on the nurse's.

'It was the kitchen cupboard' she quickly tried to reassure Serena that nothing was wrong, but then something clicked in Serena's mind. First, she said she was mugged, and just then, she said it was the kitchen cupboard...

'Cara…you can talk to me, you know? Just then, you gave two different explanations for your eye…now, I need you to tell me the truth…is somebody hurting you?' Serena asked, attempting to make eye contact with a very nervous nurse...


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N Thank you so much NiamhMcGrady-fanpage for your review on chapter 4 and for the ideas regarding future incidents…** **I have used the ideas mixed with my own spanned across the next 3 chapters (I got carried away with writing this weekend haha!) so thank you so much and full credit**

 **I hope you all enjoy these chapters, please feel free to review** **also please bear in mind that I'm not a medical professional (this comment will make sense in chapter 7!)**

'Cara? Did you hear me?' it had been a while since Serena had asked her whether she was being hurt, and Cara couldn't decide whether to let Serena in or to keep it to herself.

'No, everything's fine, really, I can hardly believe my bad luck myself' she half laughed, half sighed to herself. 'First the mugging, now the kitchen cupboard, I should really try being more careful' she laughed. Serena half smiled, still not convinced by the young nurse but what more could she do?

The team continued into the shift and Cara, although a little annoyed at Fletch and Morven for talking about her to Serena behind her back, part of her was relieved that she had friends looking out for her. She hoped desperately that things would change and that their worries would never materialise again, but who was she kidding? Gabe was bad for her. She had no idea how things had gone so wrong, how they went from being school sweethearts to how they were now. She was trapped in a terrifying situation, and she had no idea how she got there.

The couple had made it through the evening until around 9 at night when they started to argue about Allegra's play school. Cara was happy with her being there but Gabe argued it was too far away for him to be able to walk her there in the morning and pick her up again when Cara was on shift.

'Gabe, please, it's a good school and she's happy there. We might not be able to get her into one closer-' she tried to reason but he grabbed her face and threw her across the room, in a drunken rage- she felt a scratch on her face where she caught it on the corner of the coffee table on the way down, and she sighed when she realised that it would be another injury to explain away at work. She tried not to cry as he stood over her. That was when she felt at her most vulnerable- she couldn't get up quickly to get away without her grabbing her again, and she had no idea what he was planning to do. Then he would just leave the room and go to bed without saying a word. She found herself on the sofa that night yet again, and the next morning before Gabe woke up, the thought of staying at home or doing anything with Gabe on her day off made her feel sick, so she decided to go to work...

'I didn't see you on the rota today?' Morven asked, confused, as Cara stepped onto the ward in scrubs, tying her hair up into a ponytail. Cara smiled at her and Morven's attention was drawn to a mark on Cara's face, which she had tried to cover with makeup. 'What's happened to your face?!' She gasped in shock, and Cara instinctively and protectively placed her hand over her cheek and forced a small chuckle.

'Oh that, I was playing with Allegra who got a bit excited, 3 year olds scratch'

'That's a nasty looking scratch for a 3 year old to have done...' Morven frowned, looking concerned. Cara chucked again and went on her way, hoping that if she just carried on as normal that nobody would ask her any more questions...however, Morven was concerned enough to approach Serena again...

'And she said her daughter did it playing?' Serena asked, gesturing to Morven to sit down, which she did, nodding nervously.

'Yes...but, it's bruised, which I think she's tried to cover it with foundation, and the scratch looks nasty...not like it was an accident by a toddler at all'. Serena nodded, frowning. 'I'm just worried about her...' Morven admitted and Serena nodded again.

'Yes...me too...thank you Dr Shreve' Serena smiled weakly as Morven stood to leave. Serena sighed, sitting back in her chair. AAU were like a family, and she cared about her team. She wanted Cara to come forward and admit there was a problem but she knew that was unlikely. Instead, she simply asked Cara if she was alright.

'Yes I'm fine' Cara smiled, and Serena looked at her knowingly, but Cara chose to ignore this.

'Are you sure? Your face looks sore' she replied, sympathetically and then Cara simply smiled and walked away. She felt her chest tighten with nerves, and was terrified that if the conversation continued that she would reveal everything. What was she so afraid of? Truthfully, she was scared that Allegra would be taken away. She was scared that her friends and colleagues would blame her in some way. She was scared of what Gabe was capable of. She found herself outside in one of the outdoor walkways- she wasn't sure she was supposed to be there but she needed the air. She slumped against the wall and fell down against it, resting her head on her knees when she reached the ground. She choked back the tears that were trying their hardest to come out.

It was getting too hard to keep it a secret. _Things can't go on like this..._


	6. Chapter 6

For the rest of the shift, Cara formulated a plan of action in her head. She was going to go home after her shift, and tell Gabe she wanted a trial separation. Just a few weeks. Just enough time for him to get his own thoughts together. He wasn't the man she fell in love with, and she desperately hoped he would see the error of his ways if she wasn't in the picture for a little while. She had no idea where she would go but this was by far the only good idea she had for the situation. Then after telling him, she'd get the bag she had had packed in the back of her wardrobe in case she ever needed to make a quick getaway again, and take it to the hospital before going to Albie's to celebrate Raf's birthday with the rest of the team.

By the end of the shift, her hands were shaking and she was praying that the walk home would take longer than usual. She was dreading this. She had explained to her colleagues that she needed to go home and get changed, sort out dinner for Gabe and Allegra and she would be straight back out. However, she knew she'd be lucky if this was the case. When she arrived home, she frowned when she saw an empty vodka bottle on the side. Allegra was upstairs playing, and Gabe stumbled around the house. She started to cut the vegetables and she felt him behind her. He didn't say anything, he just stood. She turned around, and prepared to speak.

'What's wrong?'

'Who's Raf?' He growled, holding up her phone, revealing on her calendar the 'Raf birthday' invite from Fletch. Cara stood perfectly still, feeling her heart start to pound in her chest. 'I said, WHO, IS, RAF?!' he shouted, throwing the glass bottle across the room, while Cara winced and backed herself into the corner.

'H-He's a colleague, it's his birthday so I'm going out with the team, Fletch invited me-'

'Ahh yes, Fletch, that twat, shagging him aren't you?! You dirty slut, I should have realised you were cheating on me, going into work when you're not supposed to be there, do you think I'm fucking stupid?! Well if I can't have you, nobody can' He shouted, moving towards her quickly and grabbing her hair, pulling it. Cara screamed and started to cry.

'Gabe please, let me speak- we can't go on like this, I want us to have a trial separation' she cried, knowing that if she didn't say it now, then she never would. She had psyched herself up all day to say it, but now she was starting to regret it, as he let her go, and picked up a paperweight from the window sill and smashed the windows, then started smashing and throwing everything in sight in the kitchen.

Cara was in tears, in the corner of the room- she was desperate to grab Allegra and run as she had done before but she knew she'd just end up back here again another day soon, and it couldn't go on like that. Besides, right now she was too scared to move. She did have an idea however...an idea of how to get help...

 _'It's time...it's time to get help'_ Cara panicked, quickly reaching for her phone and searching her contacts for Fletch's number...however, just as it started to ring, Gabe turned back around, so she slipped her phone into her pocket and hoped Fletch would pick up...

In Albies Raf, Serena, Fletch, Arthur, Morven and the rest of team AAU were sitting at a large table, all chatting amongst themselves. Raf looked at her watch and then Fletch did the same.

'I would have thought Cara would be back by now' Fletch commented as he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Serena and Morven nodded, and then as Fletch pulled his phone up, a look of concern flashed across his face as he saw 'Cara' appear on the screen. He quickly stood and went outside, and Serena followed him.

'Hi Cara...Cara? Cara are you-' and then his face dropped.

 _'Gabe please- please we can- AAAARGHHHHHHHHH!'_

 _'MUMMY!'_

Fletch's face paled and he quickly passed his phone to Serena to listen, and she too heard smashing, screaming, both from what sounded like Cara and a small child. 'Serena she's in trouble, we have to go' Fletch commanded and Serena nodded, following him as they ran to his car.

It was a frantic 10 minute drive to Cara's house, the atmosphere tense and nervous in the car. Neither of them knew what to expect. Both were overcome with intense worry about what they would find, and guilt that despite their best efforts, they couldn't stop this from happening. Cara was so brave to do what she did, by phoning Fletch at that moment, and no matter what happened it could ensure she had a way to move forwards. However, the more immediate problem faced them as they met a wide open front door at Cara's address...

Fletch and Serena ran inside and the first thing they noticed was a smashed up hallway and living room, and then Fletch spotted a crying, terrified looking Allegra in the corner, curled up, trying to hide, but she was screaming 'mummy!' Fletch comforted the little girl who recognised him and she gave him a hug and held onto him, as Serena proceeded through the the kitchen.

'Fletch! Do not let Allegra come in here, do you understand?!' She called out as she kneeled next to Cara in horror. 'And call for an ambulance!'


	7. Chapter 7

'This is Cara Martinez, 27, victim of a serious domestic assault, KO'd at the scene, query depressed skull fracture...' The paramedic announced as the medical team in the ED took over.

'Ok, let's get her straight into resus' Connie instructed as she, Rita, Lofty and Ethan took her in.

'Is this Cara's daughter?' Connie gestured to the little girl clinging onto Fletch.

'Yes, the poor little mite saw the whole thing' Serena frowned as Allegra cried. 'Mummy's being looked after' Serena reassured her. 'Look after her, she's one of ours' Serena informed Connie who nodded.

'You're welcome to wait in the relatives area if you like?' Lofty offered, gesturing the cosy room, and Fletch and Serena reluctantly nodded and went in. Allegra still hadn't said a word since the ambulance arrived, and all the pair could do was try and keep her occupied, but it was obvious that she was traumatised by what she saw. She held onto Fletch and Serena tightly, and refused to let anyone else come near her.

After Cara had a head CT, X-rays, MRI and other tests and scans, it was revealed that Cara had a depressed skull fracture and she would need surgery to prevent any damage to the brain. She was transferred to Keller where Guy was on standby to perform the procedure, removing small pieces of bone and returning them to their correct position, using metal wire to reconnect the pieces. Meanwhile, as news spread about the assault, Raf, Morven and Arthur joined Serena and Fletch as they waited nervously in the Keller staff room. All were upset, worried and didn't say much. Allegra recognised Morven and wanted her comfort, so Morven tried to keep her entertained, especially when the police arrived to speak to Fletch and Serena.

The surgery was a success, and she was placed in Keller's HDU to recover. When she woke up, she was greeted by Serena who was sitting at her bedside. Cara immediately started to cry, and Serena gave her a hug and reassured her. She was scared and had no idea what had happened.

'W-what happened?' She wept, and Serena pulled away, sitting back down slowly. She smiled sympathetically and weakly.

'What do you remember Cara?' She asked, kindly. Cara shook her head and looked down, crying. Serena took hold of her hand and squeezed it. 'You phoned Fletch and we heard you and Allegra screaming-'

'Oh my god where is she?!' Cara panicked, her eyes widening and she tried to sit up, but Serena gently pushed her back down.

'She's ok, she's down on the ward' Serena smiled. 'We came to your house, and the door was wide open. The house was a mess, things smashed everywhere, Allegra was hiding, and you were unconscious on the kitchen floor. Among broken ribs and cuts and bruises, you had a depressed skull fracture and you've had surgery...' Serena continued, being cautious and sympathetic as Cara looked at her in disbelief. 'I think you need to tell me what's been going on Cara...'

Cara thought for a moment and then took a deep breath. 'My husband, Gabriel...he's-' she welled up. Serena squeezed her hand gently and let her take her time. 'He's...he's been hitting me...' She admitted. She wasn't sure how she felt, there was such a variety of emotion coursing her veins. She was relieved that someone knew. She was worried that Gabe would be back. She felt sick at what had happened.

'Well done, you're being so brave' Serena smiled gently as Cara wept, and then she continued.

'It's been about a year, but it's been a lot worse and a lot more often in the past few months. I don't understand why...we used to have such a beautiful relationship'

Serena felt huge sympathy for the young nurse before her. The person before her was the life and soul of the ward, a personality larger than life, and she felt terrible realising that Cara had been hiding this secret for such a long time. 'I'm so sorry that I've been lying all this time' Cara cried, and Serena comforted her. 'I just, I was worried that Allegra would be taken away from me, and I know Gabe can be lovely, this isn't him, this isn't the man I fell in love with'. Serena didn't say anything, she didn't want Cara to feel smothered, and it was the first time that Cara had spoken about all of this- she wanted her to feel free to say anything she wanted to say. 'You've all been so lovely to me, I don't deserve friends like all of you' Cara cried.

'Of course you do- Cara, we've all been worried about you but we're so proud that you did what you did that night, that you reached out for help by phoning Fletch. I'm just sorry we didn't get to you sooner'

'Is Allegra ok?' Cara sniffed, and Serena nodded.

'She's fine...very quiet, but physically fine'

Cara remembered the argument, and what she had done when Serena reminded her. She remembered Allegra's face through the bannister as she saw her father lay into her mother, and how terrified she looked. 'Cara, has Allegra ever seen it happen?' She asked, trying to make eye contact with Cara who was looking down. 'I know she's seen the aftermath, but...'

'This was the first time she's seen it...her little face through the bannister, she looked petrified. She froze on the spot, and then started to cry, really loudly, and she was screaming 'mummy!' Cara welled up, and Serena squeezed her hand, looking on sympathetically. 'Her little face...it was the most heartbreaking thing I've ever seen...the noise got to Gabe and then I don't remember anything else, not really.'

'Has he ever hurt her?'

'No! No, never, she's his princess, he absolutely dotes on her' Cara tried to reassure Serena.

'Shame he doesn't treat her mother with the same respect' she frowned sympathetically.

'It's my fault...I usually antagonise him, being late home, texting friends too much, and tonight I told him I wanted a trial separation, just a few weeks so we can learn to be together again. I just want to be brave enough do it-'

'Oh Cara!' Serena gasped, sitting up onto the bed next to the nurse and putting a comforting hand on her knee. 'None of this is your fault, you haven't asked to be abused, and that's what he is doing. He is abusing you'

'What am I going to do?' She cried. 'I can't go home to him but I have to...if this was his reaction when I just tell him I want a temporary separation then I can't leave him permanently...'

'Who says?' Serena asked kindly and curiously, and Cara stopped and thought for a moment. _She's right...who says?_

'...I don't know...I guess I'm just used to being his...' Cara admitted, and Serena shook her head and smiled weakly.

'Come and stay with me until you're back on your feet, since my husband vacated my life and my daughter left home I have the room...'

'I couldn't invade your life like that...but thank you'

'It wasn't a request Nurse Martinez' she winked and smiled, and Cara smiled back, gratefully.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N Huge thanks to NiamhMcGrady-fanpage (with full credit to Allegra's involvement in this chapter from the suggestion in review!), Nemo, Pinklilyrock and Geml31 for your very kind and encouraging reviews! It's really lovely when writing to know that people are enjoying the story, so thank you! Also my stats have been really encouraging too, so I'd like to thank anyone who has taken the time to read so far**

Many hours later Cara woke up to feel Allegra climbing onto the bed and she was delighted to see her. 'Hello baby girl' Cara smiled as Allegra held onto her for a hug. Cara held her close and as cheesy as it sounded, she didn't want to let her go. 'Oh sweetheart I've missed you' and she kissed Allegra on the cheek, which she reciprocated. They stayed holding each other when Cara realised that Allegra hadn't spoken.

'Darling, please say something' Cara started to worry and then Allegra shook her head before burying it into Cara's hair. 'Are you scared?' She asked and she nodded. 'Scared of...the hospital?' a shake. 'Me?' another shake. 'What happened to mummy?' She asked tentatively, and her heart sunk as Allegra nodded, and just as tears welled up in Cara's eyes, Serena, Raf and Arthur popped their heads around the door.

'How are you doing?' Fletch smiled as he sat down next to the bed and Cara nodded. 'Feeling better' she smiled weakly as she tried to reassure Allegra.

'How is she?' Arthur asked...

'She hasn't said a single word...she's usually such a chatterbox, but after seeing...you know...I just want to be able to make her feel better but she's so scared...' Cara wept, her eyes welling up. _If only I had sorted this sooner,_ she thought _, then maybe Allegra would be ok._

'She's been staying in the on-call room, she's been as good as gold.' Arthur added. 'She helped Morven play doctor on her teddy bear, and has pretty much stayed put, not like other kids we get on the ward' he laughed.

'Good girl sweetheart' Cara smiled but Allegra didn't reply.

'...and she's also been very quiet' Serena added. 'In fact, I don't think she's spoken at all since it happened' Serena looked on sympathetically.

'She must have been so scared' Cara cried. 'Why didn't I leave him? Why didn't I tell you sooner?'

'You've told us now, that's the main thing' Fletch smiled. 'What are you going to do?'

'Cara and Allegra are going to be staying with me until they're back on their feet' Serena smiled, not giving Cara the option to argue.

'Would you like me to go and pack you both some things from yours?' Raf offered, and Arthur nodded.

'I'll come too'

'No offence Arthur but I think if Cara's husband is there he would snap you like a twig. You're not exactly the most threatening-looking bloke I know' Fletch laughed as he and Raf jokingly flexed their muscles as Arthur pushed his glasses up his nose, and shook his head while Cara and Serena sniggered.

'Oh my god what if he's at home?' Cara panicked and Serena smoothed her hand up and down her arm reassuringly.

'He'll have us to answer to' Raf frowned as Fletch and Arthur nodded. 'Seriously, we'll go and get some of your things, where are your keys?'

'In my handbag' Cara pointed to the bag on the chair next to the bed. Fletch, Raf and Arthur left and Serena sat next to Cara, watching as Allegra lay still in Cara's arms. 'I can't put her through this again'

'No, _he_ can't put _either of you_ through this again.' Serena corrected and Cara smiled weakly. 'I think you need to think about what you're going to do now...whether you're going to go back, whether you're going to report this, what preventative measures you need to stop this from happening again.'

'I've heard about injunctions...the counsellor who came in to see me mentioned it as a possibility...it seems a little drastic though...'

'Cara what he did to you was barbaric, he put you in hospital needing surgery. An injunction doesn't mean a prison sentence, it is there to protect you, and after this, that's what you need' Serena pointed out sternly. 'It's time to put yourself and your daughter first'.

'But I'd have to face him in court' she panicked, and Serena nodded.

'Eventually you may, or may not, but you'd be safe' she reassured and then Serena's phone rang- it was Raf.

'Hello?'

'Serena, can you put me on speakerphone? I need to talk to you and Cara.'

Serena did this and then Raf continued. 'Cara, it looks like your husband has been home and cleared off, all his stuff is gone but the place is a mess- is there a chance he'll come back?' He asked.

'Yes, he's done this before but he always comes back. As long as I don't go back, Allegra and I will be fine.' Cara responded.

'Right, well we're all done here, we'll be back soon' Raf hung up, and Cara and Serena shared a nervous smile, and looked down at Allegra as she stayed holding onto Cara tightly, twirling her mother's hair in her fingers.

When Raf, Arthur and Fletch returned to Holby, they walked through the car park, discussing everything that had happened. 'I can't believe she's been going through this all alone with nobody to talk to' Fletch frowned as they walked. Arthur and Raf nodded sadly.

'I don't understand how any man can call himself a man if he hits a woman, it's completely unacceptable.' Raf frowned, and as they carried on discussing their colleague's unfortunate incident, they were completely unaware that from the darkness of the peace garden, Gabriel Martinez was watching, listening, and waiting...


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Thank you so much NiamhMcGrady-fanpage and Geml31 for the reviews and ideas- if I haven't used them in this chapter, then I'll use them in upcoming chapters, so thank you and credit where due from hereon in :-) thank you also to my other readers who have not reviewed, I hope you all enjoy the story and what's coming up :-)**

'Will you be ok tonight?' Fletch asked as he and Raf put their heads around Cara's door before going home for the night. Cara smiled.

'Yeah, I'll be fine. Thank you so much for today' she smiled, cuddling a tired Allegra who, it was agreed, could stay with Cara for the night on the ward.

'Ok, well I think Serena's on shift tonight, so if you need anything she's about...' Fletch smiled, as he waved goodbye, and it was strange, but for the first night in a long time, she felt safe. Allegra looked peaceful, and although she was still desperately worried about her and how quiet she had been, Cara truly and honestly believed that a fresh start was what they both needed. As Cara began to settle down, however, unbeknownst to her, her husband was wandering around the hospital, looking for her. He had no idea of the ward she even worked on, let alone where she was staying, or even who she worked with. The wards were quiet, and Keller was no exception. He eventually found the correct ward, although he didn't know it yet. It was only when he walked past the room and saw Cara lying asleep with Allegra through the window...he was just about to approach the door when he heard someone approach him from behind...

'Excuse me sir, can I help you?' Serena asked, as she caught a man she didn't recognise wandering around the ward. It wasn't visiting time, and she was wary of anyone wandering around the hospital at this hour who obviously wasn't a patient or staff...

'Sorry, I'm just looking for...the lift...' Gabe lied.

'Oh ok, just down the corridor and the lifts are on the right. But first would you mind telling me who you're visiting? It's rather late you see, I can tell them you came if you like' she offered, and he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Instead of answering, he backed away. 'Sir?' She asked again and instead he headed off quickly down the corridor.

'At least I know where she is now...' He thought to himself.

Gabe realised that to catch Cara on her own, it would be better to go back later, keeping an eye out for staff on the ward who might thwart him. He had no doubt in his mind that at least someone would know what he has done, given her injuries, and he had to make sure that she wouldn't leave him, especially now. It was just, when she made him angry, he wanted to make sure she learnt that she couldn't continue- in his mind, it was for her own good. He needed her to stay, for her own good.

Gabe hung around in Pulses for another hour before making his way back up to Keller, where had found Cara, he just had to make sure he wasn't caught this time. He got into the lift and before he exited onto Keller, he looked in both directions. There were two nurses walking past in the other direction, Serena was in another side room away from sight, so Gabe ran to HDU and burst through the doors, waking Cara with a start.

'No, oh no, Gabe please-' she started to cry, her voice trembling with fear as she climbed to the top of the bed. Allegra woke up suddenly and upon catching site of Gabe she screamed and started to cry...

'Thank goodness you're ok' Gabe smiled, and Cara, now struggling to breathe through fear, pressed a button next to the bed which set off an alarm on the ward for help.

'Please, get out, I don't you here' she cried just as Serena ran into the room. Allegra was crying, hiding under the covers.

'You! So you're the husband! I thought I asked you to leave' Serena snapped, hurrying over to Cara. 'If you're not gone in 3 seconds I'm calling security, and then I'm calling the police'

'She's my wife' he barked, 'Cara, this isn't my fault. You fell, don't you remember?' He pleaded, desperately, but Cara's face turned to confusion, and she stuttered. Serena got our her pager and contacted security.

'No, I didn't.' She replied, and looked to Serena for help. Serena nodded at her reassuringly and placed a hand on her shoulder.

'If she fell then why is your own daughter cowering away from you, crying and clingy to Cara? Why would Cara have as many injuries as she was coming into work with? Why would she have contacted us while you attacked her, oh, sorry, while she fell, screaming at you to stop?' She snapped, sarcastically.

'You called someone that night?' Gabe said somewhat calmly as Cara, Serena and Allegra all watched his moves closely, and then his face turned sour, and they could see the rage rising in his face as it grew red, and his eyes- he looked psychopathic.

'You manipulative bitch' he growled, lunging at her, and just before he reached Cara, Serena stepped in between them and a security guard pulled him away. 'You need me to put you in your place, it's for your own good to stay with me' he spat. 'You're nothing without me, understand?!' He shouted.

'You need help Gabriel...you can't keep behaving like this, look at your daughter- she's terrified of you' Cara shouted.

'Only because you've poisoned her against me' Gabe spat, lunging again but this time being held and pulled back. As the security guard pulled him out of the room, Cara burst into tears and couldn't stop shaking as Allegra clung onto her for dear life, and Serena held Cara and let her cry.

'I'm so sorry, he was wandering the ward earlier, I didn't know who he was at the time'

'It's not your fault' Cara cried. 'I can't believe how scared I am around him...I have to do something' she continued.

'I honestly think an injunction would be the solution. He came to find you to convince you that you had to stay, doesn't that tell you something?' Serena pleaded sympathetically and desperately, and she nodded.

'What if this never goes away?'

'Believe me, you need to nip this in the bud. You're staying with me for however long you need, and you need to take action here, otherwise it will never stop. You owe it to yourself to end the cycle of abuse' she replied, and Cara nodded. Fletch and Raf entered the room, looking confused about why Cara was in tears, Allegra was hiding again, and Serena was comforting her.

'What's happened?!' Raf asked, and Serena looked at him.

'We need to get security to place a watch on this room, Cara's husband found her' she frowned.

'And I'm calling a solicitor to have a chat about an injunction' she added, looking at Cara who nodded slowly .

'Thank you' she sniffed. 'I can't do this anymore'

'I know...but you'll have us here. We won't let anything happen' Fletch added.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update! In truth, I had a bit of writers block with this chapter and then I got distracted with "When The Sun Goes Down" but here's the next chapter! Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far, and to Geml31 and NiamhMcGrady-Fanpage for some lovely ideas- where I haven't used them yet, I will do in upcoming chapters so thank you and credit in advance!**

It had been a week since Cara had had surgery and she was getting ready to be discharged. Serena had arranged to collect her and Allegra after her shift finished and take them back to hers to settle in. Cara was also mentally preparing to see a solicitor, and she needed to give a statement to get an emergency injunction. She knew Gabe could contest it if he wanted to, and this terrified her. Serena had offered to go with her to show some moral support but Cara was initially adamant that she would go on her own. However, as the reality dawned on Cara of what she was about to do, she started to freak out...

Serena arrived at 6pm on the dot to the on call room on Keller where Cara and Allegra had been waiting for her. She knocked on the door, and poked her head around greeting the pair but she noticed immediately that Cara was crying. 'Oh Cara...' Serena sighed sympathetically as she moved towards Cara and gave her a hug. 'I know it doesn't feel like it but everything _will_ be ok' Serena comforted as she stroked Cara's back maternally as Cara let all her emotion out. 'I can come with you to see the solicitor if you want me to, the offer always stands.'

'Thank you...I don't think I can do it on my own...having you there will force me to do it, and I need to do it' she sniffed and Serena nodded reassuringly.

'Ok...we'll go in the morning. My friend Sian, you remember?' Serena pointed out, and Cara nodded. 'She remembers you- to thank us all for her care when she came in, she insists that she represents you, free of charge' she smiled and Cara's mouth dropped open.

'What? Are you serious?' Cara said in disbelief, and Serena smiled, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her arm. As she nodded, Cara smiled. 'Thank you...thank you so much' she whispered through trying not to cry again.

'Don't mention it' Serena smiled kindly. 'Now, let's get you two back, I have dinner in the slow cooker as we speak'.

For the first time in a long time, Cara felt safe at night. Serena's house was homely, comfortable, and had a relaxed atmosphere, something they desperately needed. Allegra was still very quiet in comparison to usual but she was starting to talk to Cara a little more, which relieved everyone. After she had fallen asleep, Cara and Serena sat in the living room with a glass of wine, and as Serena left the room to get the bottle to bring in, Cara stood and looked at some of the photos on Serena's mantelpiece. There were a couple of her daughter Eleanor, who looked exactly like Serena Cara thought, then there was one of her and her ex-husband Edward, and one of an older man and woman...'Ms Campbell, are these your parents?' Cara smiled, and Serena looked uncomfortable for a second before she spoke.

'Yes...'

Cara realised she had reached a sore subject and was quick to apologise profusely. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think-'

'Its ok' Serena reassured, raising her hands. 'Honestly...dad died several years ago, but mum was quite recent...she had dementia' she said sadly, and Cara moved towards Serena to give her a hug. 'There was one occasion where, she didn't recognise me, and she lashed out' Serena remembered sadly, and a single tear flowed down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. This was not unnoticed by Cara who refilled Serena's wine glass. 'Such a cruel illness.'

Cara nodded.

'I'm sorry about your mother' she said, genuinely and sympathetically. 'I'm lucky that mine are only across the water'

'Do they know what's been happening?'

Cara shook her head. 'I don't want to worry them, and besides, they love Gabe like the son they never had' she responded sadly. 'It'll break their hearts'

'I think the fact that you've been going through this alone and scared is more likely to break their hearts' she countered, reaching for her glass and taking a sip. 'Are you sure you don't want to tell them?'

Cara thought for a second. 'I'll think about it' she resolved, before the pair continued to drink wine and went to bed. That night, all Cara could think about was what she was going to say to Sian. Would she ask her questions to answer to do the statement, or would she ask Cara to write it herself? Would Gabe really contest it? What if they deem Cara unfit to take care of Allegra, for keeping her in that situation for so long? These thoughts kept her awake for hours and the next morning when her alarm went off, she wondered if he had actually slept at all. After all, this was a big day. The day she put her history to paper in an attempt to secure a safe and happy future for her and her daughter.

'Ok Cara, we can draft the statement together- we'll get everything in that a judge will want to know, and he won't need to ask as many questions of you in the first hearing, ok?' Sian smiled and Cara nodded nervously. 'Would you like Serena to stay?' she asked, and Cara nodded as Serena squeezed Cara's shoulder reassuringly.

'Ok, so when did you and Gabriel get together?' Sian began, typing notes on her laptop, and Cara started to answer the questions, and by the end, Sian had drafted a strong statement detailing the first time Gabe was violent towards her, a summary of various incidents and details of what had put her in hospital. Sian read the whole statement out as Cara sat with tears in her eyes. 'It is for these reasons stated above that I request of the court an emergency injunction because I fear that without this protection, the Respondent will be violent towards me again.' She finished and Cara took a deep breath. Upon hearing someone else speaking about her experiences, she almost didn't believe that what she was hearing was about her. Cara dabbed her eyes with a tissue, and Serena gave her a hug. 'Are you happy with this? Do you want to make any changes?' Sian said kindly, leaning forward to try and make eye contact. 'You've been so brave, that's the hard part over' she reassured. 'Now once we get the rest of this paperwork done, we'll go down to the court and ask to go before a judge' she smiled. 'Give me and hour and we'll go' and Cara smiled, and thanked her.

Serena took Cara and Allegra to a cafe for lunch, and as promised, an hour later Sian had gotten all of Cara's paperwork finished and they headed to the court to make the application. As they sat in the waiting area, Serena sat reading to Allegra as Cara paced around, fidgeting with her hands, and when the usher called her name, she almost froze. Sian stood and placed a reassuring hand on Cara's shoulder. 'It will be fine. You ready?'


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N Thank you to everyone who read (and also to those who reviewed), and credit to NiamhMcGrady-fanpage to her idea for Allegra in this chapter. Enjoy, all!**

The court room was so much smaller than Cara had imagined. In her head she thought she'd be walking into a huge room with a witness stand, jury box, defendant stand, and the judge sitting high above everyone else. In reality, it was like an office where the judge sat at a desk, and she smiled at Sian and Cara and gestures them to sit at the long table opposite her. The room had several complicated and important looking books in, a crest on the wall, and in front of them was a glass bottle of water with two glasses.  
'Would you like some water?' Sian whispered and Cara nodded. She was shaking. The judge sat reading the last page of Cara's statement and with every second that passed, Cara felt her chest become tighter, her hands become shakier and her palms began to sweat nervously.  
'Miss Kors?' The judge finally spoke and Sian stood.  
'Thank you ma'am, I am here with Mrs Cara Martinez who wishes to make an application for a non-molestation order pursuant to section 8 of the Family Law Act'...  
Everything was a blur to Cara from this point as the judge and Sian conversed regarding the application.  
'Given that Mrs Martinez and the Respondent are married, why isn't there an application for an occupation order?' She asked, flicking through the paperwork.  
'Mrs Martinez has made it quite clear to me that she does not wish to return to the marital home, regardless of whether her application today is granted'  
'Does she have the means to live elsewhere?'  
'She and her daughter are currently staying with a friend, and she is actively looking for a suitable property to rent'  
The judge looked at Cara sympathetically. 'Mrs Martinez, I'm going to grant this order for an initial period of six months' she stated, and Cara nodded. 'There will be a follow up hearing in a month's time where your husband will be invited to attend- do you understand?' And Cara nodded again. Sian had explained this to her. As she stamped the paperwork, Sian smiled and winked at Cara and they left the room having thanked the judge for her time.

As they went back to see Serena in the waiting room, Cara was pale, and Sian and Serena quickly sat Cara down.  
'It's good news, Cara' Sian smiled, and Cara knew this. It was just...well, she felt free but she was scared that Gabe would kick off. 'If he breaches any part of this order, at all, he'll be arrested and he can face up to 5 years- he wouldn't dare do anything' she smiled. 'The follow up hearing is a formality, we can't do anything about that. I will represent you' she smiled, rubbing Cara's arm reassuringly as Serena did the same and Allegra patted Cara on the knee. 'I'll pass this onto our firms process servers to give him the order. As soon as he knows about the order, he won't be able to do anything.' She smiled and Cara smiled a small nervous smile.  
'So this is it? It's really over?' She asked, hardly able to believe it herself.  
Sian and Serena both smiled. 'Its as good as over.'

That night, Cara was overwhelmed with how different things were going to be now that she had the injunction. She no longer had to look over her shoulder, she no longer had to be frightened. In the back of her mind she knew he could contest the order but she knew as well as everyone else that he didn't have a leg to stand on. As Serena was working a night shift, she was alone in the house with Allegra who was sleeping upstairs, and just as she settled down to watch The Great British Bake Off, she was alerted immediately to screaming coming from upstairs. She leapt up and ran upstairs to the bedroom Allegra was sleeping in and found her in the middle of a nightmare, crying. Cara hurried over and sat down on the bed and gently rocked Allegra to wake her up.  
'Darling it's just a bad dream' Cara soothed and Allegra wept.  
'Daddy...daddy hurted you and you went and left me behind' she cried. 'Daddy hurted you mummy' she cried and Cara's heart broke. As tears flowed down her face, she wiped Allegra's eyes and straightened out her blonde waves, which stood out messily from shuffling a lot in her sleep.  
'Darling, you and mummy are safe. Daddy isn't coming to hurt us' Cara soothed as Allegra held on tightly to her. It was the most Allegra had said in days. 'Now, go back to sleep angel'  
'No' Allegra moaned and Cara rolled her eyes and smiled gently.  
'Just try? For me?' Cara asked her and Allegra nodded slowly. As she lay back down, Cara tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead and went back downstairs, but as soon as she sat back down, Allegra came downstairs and stood in the doorway. Cara saw her and her heart melted. For such a confident little girl, she suddenly looked so small and scared.  
'I'm scared mummy' she said quietly, her bright eyes filling up.  
'Oh baby come here' Cara soothed as she held her arms out to Allegra who moved towards her, carrying a teddy. Allegra climbed onto the sofa and cuddled into Cara who wrapped her arms around her protectively.  
'Im going to sleep here' Allegra whispered. 'Daddy can't get you if I'm here' she whispered as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep again. It took every ounce of Cara's strength not to cry at this heartbreaking statement. Allegra, despite only being three, felt guilty about not being able to save Cara. Something that a child should never, ever have to feel.

When Serena arrived home from shift, she found Cara and Allegra asleep, holding onto each other, and she smiled weakly. It had been a long few weeks for them both. So as not to disturb em, she put a blanket over the pair of them and turned the light and TV off. Although now safe from Gabe, today marked the start of a bigger journey of learning to live with what had happened. Serena knew that she and the rest of the AAU team would pitch in and help, but she knew that the mother and daughter both had a long road ahead of them.


End file.
